While many of the elements discussed in the development of the NCAA strategic plan are complicated by their very nature, NCAA President Myles Brand believes that one recurring theme has added unnecessary confusion.

At an October 20 joint session of the Divisions I, II and III Management Councils, Brand said that too much discussion becomes bogged down in confusion about what is meant when the term "NCAA" is used. Depending on the discussion, it could mean member conferences and institutions, the national office staff or a combination of all stakeholders. To eliminate that confusion, Brand asked that the plan avoid use of the term "NCAA" and define terms as follows:

The "Association" is the "corporate entity" consisting of member institutions, conferences and committees, as well as student-athletes, coaches and athletics administrators.

The "membership" of the Association is primarily the colleges and universities. It is campus-based.

The "national office" is the group of employees in Indianapolis who make up the infrastructure of the Association.

At the October 20 meeting, Management Council members appeared to believe that the plan is headed in the proper direction. They reacted to the following revised components:

Core purpose: To promote an environment in which intercollegiate athletics is an integral part of higher education, and to govern fair, safe and equitable student-athlete participation.

Core values: The Association -- through its voluntary governance, member institutions and conferences, and the national office staff -- shares a belief in and commitment to the roles that the athletics experience and the pursuit of excellence play in life; to the contribution that intercollegiate athletics makes to the missions, sense of community and recognition of our membership; to the norms of ethical behavior that govern all of intercollegiate athletics; to the collegiate model of athletics in which students participate as an avocation; and to the respect for philosophical differences, healthy competition and institutional autonomy.

Audacious goal: The Association will be the catalyst for ensuring that the student-athlete experience results in a quality education enriched by athletics participation.

The Management Councils also reviewed proposed three- to five-year goals:

1. The Student-Athlete Experience

Through well-managed competition, standards, and regulations that are fair and flexible, student-athletes will increasingly realize the value of the collegiate athletics experience.

Objectives: (1) Support the membership's efforts to improve student-athlete appreciation of the value of the academic portion of the collegiate athletics experience; (2) Increase the positive perception of the Association's rules and regulations as fair and flexible; and (3) Increase the frequency of member institutions with a demonstrated commitment to gender and ethnic diversity by providing equitable student-athlete participation and recruiting opportunities and fair hiring practices of coaches and all other athletics positions.

2. Academic and Athletics Reform

Through the Association's advocacy for academic and athletics reforms and standards, student-athletes will be better prepared and more motivated to earn a degree.

Objectives: (1) Increase the percentage of student-athletes who complete degrees; (2) Support member institutions' ability to ensure that the requirements placed on student-athletes are limited to an appropriate amount of time; (3) Expand the number of member institutions operating athletics programs that integrate intercollegiate athletics with other departments; (4) Support increased institutional accountability by reducing Association regulation and bureaucracy; and (5) Achieve an appropriate balance between the need for revenue and commercialism.

3. Knowledge and Solutions

The Association will be the primary catalyst and resource to assist member institutions in identifying solutions to intercollegiate athletics issues.

Objectives: (1) Expand the Association's reputation as a catalyst for engaging its members in developing approaches and undertaking actions that advance the positive roles that intercollegiate athletics play, while addressing and resolving outstanding issues and challenges; (2) Empower member institutions to make informed decisions through use of research-based initiatives; (3) Increase member reliance on the Association as the leading source of knowledge on intercollegiate athletics issues; and (4) Increase reliance on fact-based information in the governance of the Association.

4. Perception of Intercollegiate Athletics and the Association

The public will gain a greater understanding of and confidence in the integrity of intercollegiate athletics, and will assume an increasing role in preserving and nurturing its continued success.

Objectives: (1) Improve public confidence in the actions of the Association and its members; (2) Expand awareness of the positive values of intercollegiate athletics among the public and within the membership; (3) Improve relationships with the media in order to communicate clear and positive messages about intercollegiate athletics; and (4) Expand awareness of how the intercollegiate athletics model leads to positive educational outcomes.

The principal concern expressed at the meeting was that the goals and objectives too often were based on achieving better regard for the NCAA.

Brand said he understands the concern, but he wants the plan to address problems that accompany flawed perceptions.

"We don't want to overemphasize perception," he said, "but we don't want to relegate it to minimal status, either. The major task is to change action."